Elroy Jetson

On the subject of the jiggle pin, the FSM for the 88XT says the jiggle pin should be "pointing up" in the 1800 engine. Sounds confusing, which way do you guys install them? :-\

Is that universally the case, or are some of the alloy 13's any wider?

If you tear apart those VL's, you'll probably find 1 or 2 with the check ball cage popped loose. You can pop them back in place easy enough, but that's the problem. Easy on, easy off again. Not the best design.:-\ Wayne

I'm partial to Castrol straight 30 sae non-detergent. A carryover from my Corvair days. Wayne

Just a little extra silicone sealer around the rim of both sides of the diaphram holds it all together. The diaphram edge is actually sandwiched between the rims of the halves from the factory. Mine's remained sealed and airtight for 6 months now with only the silicone holding it together. Clamping is only necessary to hold things in place until the silicone cures. (because of the spring) Was a messy job, but the silicone should last forever. The trick is to only grind off the edge enough to allow opening it up. Then there will be plenty of surface left to silicone glue the halves back together.

If you take the "stator" plate out of the distrubutor, you may find that the vacuum advance plate is rusted solid to it. Soaking it with WD40 will eventually get it loose. I'd then take it apart and clean all the rust off it so it can move smoothly. Remember which side of the magnet was facing up. The car won't run if it's flipped over. Also, if the diaphram is leaky- as most are, you can open up the clamshell by grinding away the outer edge of the crimped rim on your grinding wheel. Clean off the dirt and grime and loose crumbling neoprene coating being carefull to NOT damage the cloth backing. Then, coat the diaphram on BOTH sides with silicone gasket sealer (ATV). Be sure to coat the outer rim of the diaphram so you can seal the clamshell back up. Put the clamshell back together squeuzing out the excess sealer so there's no leaks around the rim. Let it sit over night to cure. Wayne

If you've never seen the "Digidash" that was standard on 4WD XT Turbos, here's a little video about it. "Think 80's video games..." The Subaru XT Turbo FWD digidash in action. Wayne

Actually, the pressure stays the same no matter what the height. The difference is only the volume of air in it. The pressure only changes as you add load since the system will compensate to level the car. Ever notice that hiss when you get out of the car. That's so the strut can relevel itself.

Is the fuel pump on the GL10 supposed to vary pressure with engine RPM? I always thought that the fuel pump was just an on/off deal. Mine puts out about 30 psi at idle and climbs steadily to about 50psi at 5k revs. That is with the reading before the pressure regulator, of course. Wayne

The XT's had about 1 and half inches difference in ride height from low to high positions. Wayne

The KS Module still eludes me, not under the glovebox(just the ac module and the cruise module), not under the left fender-thats where the airsus pump is and nothing under the right fender. Gary, you have the 86 FSM, does that give any clues???:-\ wayne

How can you tell when they are failing? The module that is. Wayne

What are the symptoms of an ailing ignitor?? Wayne

Looks like the OEM, do you mean it doesn't need an internal resistor type and there is an external resistor somewhere on the car or the coil is OK running full 13 volts to the coil? Also, if there's an external resistor, where is it? My other subes had one near the driver's strut tower. Thanks, Wayne

86 XT Turbo, engine keeps quitting at low RPMs. Idles smooth as glass and suddenly starts dying and restarting after a little while. Then will backfire some when you try to restart, unless you wait a while. Sounds like the coil to me?? Any ideas?? New wires, plugs no difference. Will put new rotor and disty cap tomorrow-had to order. Do these coils have internal/external resistor? Can't find anything in the FSM about it. Above 2k rpm- no problems right now. Problem is getting progressively worse, though.:-\

Would make more sense to do a mid engine. Put it in the back seat and use the strong XT6 transaxle to drive the rear wheels only. I'd find an aluminum small block instead of cast iron. Wayne

oops, it's Bryan's car??? 78 2 door sedan on Ebay Wayne

i've had 2 subes with a crossed thread plug. My XT6 had one and when i got it it was in half way and pointed straight while the others were all slanted slightly. My GL wagon had one like that also. Took a long time to clear the carbon off the threads on the holes which prevents the plug from threading in all the way. 2 different thread chasers didn't help much either. Penetrating oil eventually loosened the carbon enough for the plug to go in all the way and seat the plug against the head. Took about a month of periodic retries. The trick for me was getting the plug to match the angle of the others that weren't xthreaded. That's the only way to find the factory threading which were coated with baked on layer of carbon. Wayne

Barbie would approve Wayne

Guys you know that old subes switch to ground alot instead of to positive. That means that there's 12 volts at everything, lights, radio, fuel pump, etc. Stuff jus waiting for a ground connection. That puts 12 volt cathodes everywhere you look on these cars. Every time one gets damp, metal starts to dissolve away or corrode. If one of those cathodes happens to be the coil lead, well... But, then again, if the rotor starts arcing to the post, well that will give the whole chassis a tickle. I've had 3 different cars with arcing rotors. replacing the rotor may eliminate some static buildup. Wayne

Hows the module? Mine had a cold(weak) solder joint. Resoldered it and no more park problems and irratic behavior. If the wiper moves at all when you bump the console near the ashtray, then the wiring or module needs attention. Wayne

What about all the intense aero testing Sube did on the XT to achieve .29 Cd and then they put a moonroof on and optioned the rear luggage rack/spoiler. At least the 4WD is on demand. 24mpg with 89 octane agrees with the EPA sticker. Wonder how much that spoiler is costing me per year

i use a small star driver. The star slides in the pin's hole and the shaft is just the right size to not bind in the opening. Holds it securely when putting back in.

There's a very bizare procedure for installing the timing belts according to the FSM. If you tried to do it logically, it just won't run. AS i recall you set the flywheel at the triple lines and put one belt on with the cam's mark at the top seam. Turn the engine 180 degrees and put the other one on. Can't remember which goes on first. HMM. Wayne

Bryan, That's very cool! But, then again, i'm the vintage guy:grin: Wayne